Don Says

The Galfab tandem style roll-off hoists are now standard with a pintle ready rear apron.
What that means is that if your chassis is equipped with air and electric to the rear all you may
need to do is install a pintle hook, hook up the glad hands and start pulling a trailer.
That’s right, our DOT bumper now comes equipped with pin up brackets that will allow you to
manually fold up the bumper and pin it allowing you to pull a trailer.

If you have an older style unit without the pin up brackets and pin assemblies they can be
purchased at Galfab. When ordering ask for (2) MS 5646 pin up lugs and (2) MA 4709 pin assemblies.

Galfab continually strives to be innovative in making the most user friendly hoist in the industry.

In May, 2014 Galfab changed to a higher quality hydraulic oil, Hydrex MV36. This hydraulic oil has an advanced formula to ensure long life, anti-wear and a wider temperature range for mobile equipment.

This oil is recommended for use in piston, gear and vane hydraulic pumps and offers a minimum of start-up friction at low temperatures and maintains a safe viscosity at high operating temperatures.

This oil has rust and corrosion additives as well as water separation additives and improved foam control. This clear hydraulic oil has a blue color additive to improve the site gauge reading. This oil can also mix with other good grades of A32 hydraulic oils.

Everyone knows that repairs or replacements must be made when something fails, wears out and no longer works. These repairs and replacements are most times costly, not only the replacement price, but downtime and potential break in time.

Often the new replacement parts have the same fitting tolerances as if they were new, which increases the stresses and strains forced on them as they try to break themselves in with other parts already worn and broken in.

These conditions increase the need to pay more attention and increase inspections both on the new replacements, but maybe more important their effect on other parts or equipment.

An example could be installing a new cable on a roll-off hoist and not noticing the cable sheave had a worn bushing and cable groves in the sheave made by the older cable. The result could require more greasing of the sheave until the new cable wears itself into the sheave (break in period).

When checking or inspecting a roll-off hoist, listen as well as look because any rubbing, scraping, squeaking or friction noise is a sign of excess wearing and therefore a forecast of a failure to happen.

Remember to always use a good grade of grease.

More information can be found in GalFab’s Roll-off Hoist operating manual entitled “Lubricating Information for Roll-off Hoists” 12.28.10.

I recently was exposed to information that I believe to be truthful and want to pass it on to friends, family and businesses. This information was part of a “consumer report.”

Paying for Premium Gas Can Be a Waste of Money

“Many people use premium gasoline in the belief that it’s better for engines than regular. That can be a costly mistake, especially during times of high fuel prices. Octane grades don’t represent a “good, better, best” choice; they simply measure the resistance of fuel to knocking or pinging, a condition in which gasoline burns uncontrollably in the engine’s combustion chambers. Knocking and pinging can damage an engine.

While high-octane formulations resist knocking better than lower octanes, most engines are designed to take regular gas, which had an octane rating of about 87. Engines requiring premium gas are typically the more powerful ones found in sports and luxury vehicles. Those engines use a very high compression ratio, making them more vulnerable to knocking, so recommended fuels have octane ratings of 91 or higher. Using premium gas in an engine designed to run or regular doesn’t improve performance.

Some engines for which premium gasoline is recommended can run on regular without problems. That’s because the engine’s knock-sensor system detects the presence of uncontrolled burning in the chambers. When it does, the engine’s computer-control system retards engine timing, eliminating the knock but slightly reducing power. If you don’t mind giving up some performance, you can run these engines on less expensive regular gasoline. To check whether your engine is capable of running on regular gas, read your owner’s manual or ask your dealership’s service department.”

Pressure build up is caused when the air filter located on top of the Hydraulic reservoir becomes clogged, and stops the oil reservoir from breathing (allow air in and out).

This is a special 10 micron air filter for Hydraulic systems; its purpose is to keep dirt and other contaminants out of the Hydraulic oil.

The air filter will become clogged through everyday working conditions and should be replaced a minimum of every six months. Should the working conditions be extremely dirty, then it should be changed more often (every 3 or 4 months).

A regular oil filter that looks the same will not work and will cause oil leaks and gasket failures; you must use a special filter for air.

A clogged air filter may be checked by removing it and blowing in and sucking out through the center hole of the filter. If the air isn’t easily moved through the filter so that you can feel or hear it then the air filter is becoming clogged and needs replaced.

Oil residue coming from the oil reservoir will help clog the air filter and must be watched. Should this happen, the air filter should be replaced.

Before adding oil to the reservoir all the hydraulic cylinders should be retracted (i.e. lift cylinders down and winch cylinders retracted) with no oil showing in the sight gauge.

The oil in the sight gauge should be clear, not milky or air bubbly, and only filled to the center of the sight gauge leaving 4 to 5” of expansion room at the top of the reservoir.

Over filling with hydraulic oil, leaving the P.T.O. engaged, letting gravity lower the lift cylinders, or letting a container unload by gravity can cause the oil to entrap air and expand which will help clog the air filter and when this happens the air filter must be replaced.

New Roll off hoist users, inexperienced drivers, and untrained service personnel must be informed and cautioned to check and replace the air filter before it clogs causing pressure build up in the oil reservoir which will blow seals and gaskets and cause other leaks.

GALFAB’s air filter is Part No PH 12. We recommend using original equipment.

GalFab, Inc. received a request to make the Rear Roller Shaft removable without using a torch and welder from one of our customers. With this information we redesigned the shaft and all units produced after August 20, 2012 will have this change. This shaft change will also work on the units that were produced before this date.

Recently we have learned of a pair of lift cylinders being destroyed because of mounting bracket interference when the Roll-off Hoist was raised.

Precautions must be taken to assure clearances for fenders, tarper mounting brackets, bumpers, etc. before and after they are installed. The hoist must be raised to its full dumping height either with its hydraulics or an overhead lifting crane to establish the amount of needed clearance. See drawing below.